Power-transmission device.



' W. L. JUDSN.

POWER TRANSMISSION DEVICE;

(Appucnmn'mea rnb. 23, 1901.) v

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-8hest I.

Patented 1an. 7, '|902'.

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A Patented lan. 7, |902. W. L. JUDSDN. i POWER TRANSMISSION DEVICE.

(Application Bled Feb. 23, 1901.) V

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(No Modal.)

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fw. L. unsung PUWER TRANSMISSIQN DEVICE.

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(No Model.)

7n/eases,

Patented Ian.. 7, |902.

w..L. Junso'N.

POWER TRANSMISSION DEVICE.

(Applicaionmed Feb. 23, 1901.)

7 sheets-Sheet 4.

Nh. 690,585. Patented Jan.. 7, |902.

w. L. Junson. l vIWEl- TRANSMISSION DEVICE.

- (Application med Feb. 23, 1901.) (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 5.

TM MORRIS PI'ERS CO, PIOTO-LITNO.. WASHINGTON. D. C-

No. 690,535. Patented 1an. -.7, 1902'.

w. L. sunsim.

vPOWER TRANSMISSION DEVICE.

(Application filed Feb. 23, 1901.)

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Shed 6.

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Nm' 690,585. menten 1an. 7, |902. V W. 'L. JUDSUN. l

PUWER TRANSMISSION DEVICE.

[Application led Feb. 23, 1901.) (no Model.) v l 7 sheets-sheet 7.

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UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFTCE.

WHITCOMB L. JU'DSON, OF QHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

POWER-TRANSMISSION DEVICE.

srncrnrcarron forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,585, aateatanuary 7, 1902.v

Application filed February 23. 1901. Serial No. 48,413. (No model l) To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WHITCOMB L. J-UDsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and'State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Transmission De vices; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. K

My present invention relates generally to variable-speed power-transmission mechanism, and has for its especial object to provide an improved variable-speed drive for automobiles and other comparatively light vehicles.

T0 the above ends the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of, a power-transmission device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1, showing the thrust-ring and the thrust-disk in diiferent.

positions. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line w3 x3 of Fig. 1, some parts being shown in full. Fig. l is ardetail of the connections for adjusting the so-called rotary thrust-disk. tion approximately on the line x5 m5 of Fig. 4, some parts being broken away. Fig. 6-is a transverse vertical section on the line 006 v6 of Fig. 3, some parts being broken away. Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line :nl 007 of Fig. 3, some parts being broken away and others being removed. Fig. 8 isa transverse vertical section on the line w8 m8 of Fig. 1.

Fig. `9 is a detail view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, showing the principal parts of the clutch mechanism, said parts being drawn apart. Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the so-called clutchsleeve. Fig. 11 is a plan view of a portion of the so-called clutch-reversing cage. Fig. 12 is an end elevation of the so-called clutchreversing hub. Fig. 13 is aview in side ele vation, illustrating a slightly-modified con- Fig. 5 is a vertical secstruction of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 12, inclusive; and Fig. 14 is a transverse vertical section on the line 0014 w14 of Fig. 13.

The numeral 1 indicates a bed-plate which, as shown, is-provided with bearing-pedestals 2, 3, 4, 5, and6. A constantly-running driv ing-shaft 7 is j ournaled in the pedestals 2 and 3 and is fixed against endwise movement therein. A driven shaft Sis mounted in the pedestals 4 and 5, its mounting in the said pedestal 5 being indirect, as will hereinafter appear. The driving-shaft 7 carries a crank, which in its preferred form is inthe nature of an annular head (hereinafter called the thrust-disk formed with a peripheral channel or annular seat. This thrust-disk 9 is connected to the bearing-shaft 7 for rotation therewith by means of a diametrically-extended pin or bolt 10, which permits the said thrust-disk to be adjusted or set in a plane at a right angle to the axis of the drivingshaft, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, or to be moved and set in -an eXtreme oblique angle with respect thereto, as shown in Fig. 2.

To adjust the rotary thrust-disk andwset the same to run in either of its extreme positions or in intermediate positions, a hub 11l is-keyed to slide on, but to rotate with, the

driving-shaft 7, and this hub is, as shown,

connected to the crank-head by means of a link 12. A shipper-lever 13, which, as shown, is pronged at its intermediate portion and is pivotally connected at its lower end to the bed-plate 1, engages with an annular groove 14 of the hub 11 and affords means whereby the said hub may be moved axially and the rotary `thrust-disk adjusted while the parts are in motion. An ordinary latch-bar 15,

which, as shown, is perforated and is pivoted to the pedestal 2, cooperates with the latchlever 13 to hold the sliding hub 11 andcrankhead 9 in their set adjustments.

A thrust-ring 16 is loosely mounted in the peripheral annular channel of the thrustdisk 9, and, as shown, bearing-ballsrl'?, s uitably spaced by retaining-plates 18, are placed between the sides of said thrust-ring`-and lthe embracing Iianges of said thrust-disk. This thrust-ring 16 is provided at its lower portion 'with a cross-head 19, which is preferably pivoted on a pin 20, projecting therefrom. This cross-head 19 works freely in the ,segmental IOO l channel of a cross-head guide 21, which, as shown, is formed integral with the pedestal 3 and is rigidly secured to the bed-plate 1.. The cross-head 19 and guide 2l cooperate to prevent rotation of .the thrust-ring 16, but permit the same to Wabble under the action of the thrust-disk 9. n

The driven shaft S is acted upon by clutch mechanism, which in turn is driven, through suitable connections, from the thrust-ring 16. The clutch mechanism herein illustrated is very similar to that set forth and claimed in my pending application, Serial No. 33,044, filed October l5, 1900, entitled Reversible clutch. Hence the said clutch in itself is not herein claimed, and it will be understood that other clutch devices may be substituted therefor. The said clutch, briefly described, comprises as follows, attention being particularly called to Figs. 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. The numeral 22 indicates a grooved or fluted sleeve, which is keyed to the driven shaftS between the pedestals 4 5.` So-called reversing-cage 23, which is shown asin the form of a sleeve having a series of rectangular roller-seats 23',is loosely mounted on the fluted clutch-sleeve 22. As shown, the said reversing-cage 23 is provided at its right-hand end, as viewed in Figs. 8, 9, and 11, witha flanged hub 24, in which, at diametrically opposite points, short spiral grooves or cam-channels 25 are cut. The pedestal 5, surrounding the shaft 8, is provided with a large cylindrical bore in which a so-called clutch-reversing hub 26 is mounted to rotate and to slide. This hub is caused to rotate with the shaft 8, but is free to slide thereon, this, as shown, being accomplished by a key 27. The inner end of the hub 26 is recessed to form a seat for the hub 24 of the reversing-cage 23 and is provided with spiral keys 28, Which Work in the said grooves 25. In each pocket 23 of the reversing-cage 23 is a clutch-roller 29, the ends of which, as shown, are reduced and are engaged by spacing-springs 30, that tend to hold them central of the said pockets. As shown, there are six series of these rollers 29, and around each series, mounted on the cage 23, is an oscillating drivingring 31. The six clutch-rings 31 are arranged to operate in pairs, and each, as shown, is provided with a radially-projecting wrist-pin 32, on which is swiveled a block 33. To each block 33 is pivoted the outer end of a rod or pitman 34, the inner end of which is connected to the peripheral portion of the thrust-ring 16 by means of a ball-andsocket joint 35.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 to 12, inclusive, the wrist-pins 32 of the clutchrings 31, which Work in pairs, project in opposite directions-that is, as shown, one up and the other down-and the rods 34 which actuate them are connected to the thrust-ring 16 as nearly as is convenient to the same point.

The clutch-reversing hub 26 may be moved eudwise by means of a lever 36, pivoted to the pedestal 6 and connected to said hub 26 by a coupling-ring 37, which works in an annular groove of said hub.

Operation: It is of course evident that when the thrust-disk 9 is adj usted into a plane intersecting the axis of the drivingshaft 7 at a perpendicular or right angle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, it will revolve freely Without imparting any motion Whatever to the thrust-ring 16. It is also obvious that when the said thrust-disk is set at au oblique angle to the axis of the driving-shaft 7, as indicated in Fig. 2, for instance, the rotation thereof with the said driving-shaft will cause the non-rotary thrust-ring 16 to vibrate back and forth with a peculiar Wabbling or gyrating action in which one peripheral point after the other of the said thrust-rings Will be successively thrown to an extreme position in a given direction. Of course the amount of movement given to the clutch-actuating rods or pitmen 34 under this peculiar movement increases and decreases with the angle at which the said thrust-disk is set with respect to a perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 7. Henceitis evident that any desired speed between zero and the maximum possible speed may be secured by the proper adjustments of the said thrust-disk 9. When the reversing- 1ever36, reversing-hub 26, and reversing-cage 23 are adjusted to intermediate positions, the rollers 29 will stand at the bottoms of the channels of the tluted clutch-sleeve 22, and

. no motion'V Whatever will be imparted through the clutches to the driven shaft 8. When, however, by the movements of the leverv36 reversing-hub 26 is moved eudwise in either drection, the cammin g action between the camgrooves 25 and flanges 28, already described, will cause the reversing-cage 23 to rotate in the one direction or the other withA respect to the driven shaft 8 and will thereby simultaneously throw all of the clutch-rollers 29 into operative positions. In this Way the several clutches may be simultaneously reversed, and regardless of the direction of rotation of the driving -shaft 7 and thrust-disk 9 the driven shaft 8 may be driven in either direction at will. .Under the wabbling movements of the thrust-ring 16 an adjacent pair of the clutch-rings 31 will be given their operative movements in reverse order. Furthermore, the several pairs of rings 31 are reversed in succession and receive their maximum speed of travel in succession, so that the particular ring 31 which is moving in the right directionvand with the greatest speed is the one which at the particular instant is driving the said shaft 8. In this way from the obliquelyset thrust-disk a continuous and even driving motion is imparted to the driven shaft.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14 is the same as that already described except that the Wrist-pins 32 of the clutch-rings 3l all project upward, and their blocks 33 are connected by links or pitmen 38, the coperating pairs of which are connected by ball- Ico IIO

and-socket joints 39, locatedon the thrustring 16 at diametrically opposite points. Y In this way the adjacent members of the pairs of clutch-rings are given their operative or driving movements inreverse order, the same as in the arrangement before described.

The so-called thrust-disk may of course take various forms and may be connected to its shaft in many different ways. ,It will also be understood that the intermediate connections between the obliqnely-adjustable or obliquely-set rotary thrust-disk and the clutch Y mechanism maytake various forms.

Again, from a broad point of view,the clutch mechanism may be of any suitable form. For some purposes asingle clutch would be sucient, and in some cases, also, a simple pawland-ratchet clutch Would do the workrequired. Hence it will be understood that the expression clutch is used-in the claims in a very broad sense to include all of such de` vices. 'For other purposes, however, clutch mechanism ofthe character specifically described is of the utmost importance. It `Will be further understood that the expressions driving-shaft and driven shaft are used in a generic sense and that these shafts might take any suitable form. The driving. shaft instead of being given a continuous rotary mo'vementmight be oscillated back and forth, although thisy of course would -not be the best construction.

The device above described is especially Well adapted for use as a variable-speed power-transmission mechanism forl automobiles and other quite light vehicles or cars, but may be used for heavier Work. Furthermore, its use is not limited to vehicles,.but isv adapted for general use wherever a variable driving motion or feed movement is required.

In brief, I consider thedevice broadly new as a mechanical movement and as such desire to claimthe same.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is as follows :V

l. The combination with a driving-shaft, of a rotary obliquely-acting thrust-disk connected thereto for rotation therewith, a nonrotary thrust-ring loosely mountedon-said thrust-disk, a drivenlmember and connections for impartingmotion from said non for imparting motion from said lthrust-ring to said driven shaft, involving a Yfrictionclutch.

l.--The combination `with a driving-shaft and a drivenshaft, vof a thrust-disk carried by said driving-shaft and connected therea Withfor oblique adjustments with respect to the axis thereof, means for adjusting said thrust=disk -while under motion, a thrustring loosely mounted on said vthrust-disk, a

guide permittingvsaid thrust-ring to wabble but holding the same against rotation,.a

clutch acting on said driven shaft,and clutch- 1 actuating connections subject to said thrust;

ring.v

5. The combination with adriving-shaft and a drivenshaft having transversely-extended axes, a thrust-disk-connected to said driving shaft by Y a diametrically extended pivot, means for adjusting said thrust-disk while under motion, a thrust-ringloosely mounted on saidthrust-disk and provided with a pivoted cross-head, a fixed segmental guide in which said cross-head works to hold said thrust-ring. against rotation while permitting the same to wabble, a plurality of t clutches operating on said driven shaft, and clutch' connections attached to said non-rotary thrust-ring at different points circumferentially thereof. In testimony whereof I affix myfsignature in presence of two witnesses. WHITCOMB L. JUDSON. Witnesses: J As. F. WILLIAMSON, MABEL M. MOGRORY. 

